


Blue Skies, Pink Flowers

by tokirokimoki



Category: Original Work
Genre: Action, F/F, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Mild Gore, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Original Universe, Politics, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:22:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25808788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokirokimoki/pseuds/tokirokimoki
Summary: The Kingdom of Kopor has fallen into the hands of the treacherous Keros. Akakios, once Kopor's powerful demon ruler, is now presumed dead by almost everyone. Only one person holds out for her still...-I really hope you guys enjoy this, please leave any comments if you can! I'll be posting regularly for this!♥️♥️
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> I'd like to start by saying this novel will include wlw content!! If you're not comfortable with that kind of content, please do not read this!  
> -  
> (A/N at the end!)  
> -  
> You can find me on twitter on:  
> @tokisart - my art and writing updates  
> @tokirokimoki - my main account  
> -
> 
> Thank you for reading!♥️♥️♥️♥️

“Rumour has it that Akakios - "feared" ruler of the demons, the most "powerful being in the universe" - was defeated just this morning!”

“Wasn’t she the half breed royal-”

“That’s right, the demon-angel bullshit! She should’ve ne’er taken the throne, it was destined for trouble for someone like ‘er”

“Ain’t that Keros now on ‘er throne… now that ain’t good”

“We’re totally fucked- Oi, pass me the flowers, gotta get them ready for ‘er coronation..”

It was 15 Kadons by the 10th Koda, on Merheu. Rain poured over the kingdom of Kopor, where many didn’t even have the time to mourn the loss of the greatest monarch Kopor had seen - Akakios, presumed dead by the world. Kopor had been left without a ruler, Keros, a known scoundrel, who made her way to the top through lies and thievery, was about to ascend to the throne, and demanded every living body in Kopor to be present at the coronation. This was due to be in 2 Kodas time, not nearly enough for a perfect coronation, but it had to be done. Thus, everyone and their mother’s aunt’s sons were busy preparing for this event.

Everyone except for…

Akakios lay silently on the ground of a hidden cave, trying to steady herself after crawling all the way from the capital, after her supposed ‘defeat’. She propped herself up on one elbow before grimacing, as she felt blood trickle down her forehead. Coughing, she looked up, seeing a figure stood in front and tried to speak, only to fail and fall on her elbows again. 

"Be careful, your highness…" The figure stood across Akakios, carrying something in their hands. Akakios could not make out what this thing was, or who the figure was, her vision getting blurrier by the minute.

Between fits of coughing and trying to sit up, Akakios finally managed to splutter out a single question.

“Who.. who are.. you..?”

-

A/N:  
In Kopor, a Koda is an hour and a Kadon is a minute. Therefore, the current time is technically 10:16 AM (they also don’t use the AM/PM system, instead going to the 24th Koda and starting again for the next day).

And the days of the week are as such - you don’t need to remember these as they’ll not be as frequently used, but when they are I’ll add a reminder of them in the A/N’s :

Senchoheu - Sunday  
Merheu - Monday  
Tenheu - Tuesday  
Worheu - Wednesday  
Thantuheu - Thursday  
Ferdoheu - Friday  
Sacheu - Saturday


	2. Chapter 1: Amphor And Moroah

*13 years earlier*

[Left. Right. Left. Right.]

Akakios tied her trailing silver hair up, looking regal as ever whilst doing so. Walking towards the door, she picks up her sword and walks out.

“Good morning, your highness. Did you sleep well?”

As always, outside waiting for her was Koro, her devoted bodyguard. As the crown princess of Kopor, she needed one with her at (almost) all times. So far, he had been the most loyal, staying with her for the last 12 years, since she was only 3 years of age. Thus, Akakios trusted Koro with her life.

“I slept. It was… it was okay.”

[I slept fucking terrible what the fuck did you expect with the storm last night]

With the slightest smile, Akakios motions for the two of them to make their way downstairs, Koro following behind. They make their way to the main hall, where the King and Queen of Kopor sit waiting for them.

-

King Amphor of Kopor was known for his generosity, caring for his people as if they were his own family, and for his great strength, having led Kopor in many successful battles. Queen Moroah was known for her charitable deeds, helping those who needed her help. Together though, they were known for being the demon and angel that fell in love.

It was a perfect story - Moroah was an angel, pure and graceful. Amphor was a demon, evil and unholy. Demons stuck to their place in Kopor, angels stayed in the heavens. At the time, tensions were running high between the two realms, the outskirts of Kopor often being the chosen battleground when the situation would worsen.

One day, Amphor visited the heavens, intending on causing a ruckus. However, he caught the eye of Moroah, who was intrigued by the first non-heaven dwelling individual she saw. Thus, going against everything heaven stood for, she befriended Amphor.

At first, Amphor pushed her away. It was unsafe for a demon and angel to even talk to each other, let alone become friends. Over time, Moroah’s persistence came through, and Amphor let his guard down, as the two of them got to know each other.

And they spent everyday together, secretly. They’d talk for hours in the evening, until Moroah would have to go to sleep and Amphor would sneak back to Kopor, quietly. At some point, Amphor brought with him a special mirror he had made just for Moroah. Around the frame was an intricately engraved pattern and at the very bottom of the frame, he had cut out their initials into the wood. This in itself made the mirror special, but what made it especially unique was a small stone between their initials. Once that stone was turned, the user of the mirror could interact with whoever had the mirror’s pair, which would’ve been Amphor, of course. This meant they no longer had to risk meeting in the heavens, but could meet from the comfort of their own homes.

With the mirror, Amphor professed his pure love for Moroah. No lust, just pure, unadulterated love for Moroah. She returned his feelings almost immediately, but they both knew it wouldn’t be easy for them, so they kept their love secret.

Over the next few months, Amphor, the lonely King of Kopor did his best to achieve peace with the heavens. Eventually, they came to an agreement, wherein angels and demons would live in harmony, at least for now.

A few months later, the heavens held a large and extravagant ball. Every angel was invited, of course. But no one expected for the King of Kopor, a powerful demon able to wipe out armies with a mere flick of his finger, to also be invited. So when the big night came, and Amphor made his way into the heavens, he made sure he'd sneak in a dance with Moroah, at least one. And they danced and danced, until the night was through, when Amphor returned to his cold, gloomy palace in Kopor.

The days, weeks and months that followed were busy, for both Amphor and Moroah. Amphor was busy taking care of Kopor and aiming to make the peace treaty with the heavens more amicable. Moroah was stuck between being shown off to every suitor that walked through the heavenly gates for her hand and helping those who needed her help. Whilst the two of them spent less time together, their bond was strong enough that they still held love for one another, even through trying times.

One day, Amphor finally arranged for the two of them to meet, just outside the heavens, where he had planned to propose. He had planned on asking her permission, and then her father's permission, but once he saw Moroah's tear-stained face, he couldn't help but ask what had happened.

It seemed the heavens had planned on attacking Kopor at its weakest. The two of them were torn as to what they should do, so they ended up separating. Not knowing if they would ever meet again, they prepared for the war.

Every angel knew how to fight, but not every angel would end up fighting. So, Moroah snuck onto the battlefield, putting her feelings aside and fighting for the heavens. But when the time came, it seemed Kopor had no army..

Amphor on the other hand was tired, and weary. He wanted it all to be over, he wanted peace for everybody. He knew it wouldn't be perfect - nothing ever is, especially between demons and angels, but all he wanted was for the two to at least coexist, as they had done before the separation of the heavens from Kopor.

He walked out drearily onto the battlefield, yelling out a war cry of 'Come fight me if you dare!', knowing a few foolish angels would try to. Lo and behold, at least 12 ran right at him, 3 made a start but retreated and 1 got halfway before fainting on the spot.

Moroah watched as the man she loved was standing across her, in front of his kingdom, as she stood with her army, on behalf of her kingdom. She let a single tear fall from her eye as he quickly disposed of the few fools who decided they were a match for him. But then he started walking towards them..

"I mean no harm. Really, I mean no harm at all. In fact if anyone means harm, it's you guys. Sneaking up on my kingdom like this? Disgraceful. Anyway, I'm not here to fight you, I'm here to offer.. a solution"

Amphor looked over at Moroah, winking before continuing,

"I've heard a certain angel is getting married. Or at least that her lovely parents are looking for a suitable man, right?"

He quietly adds on, "Well, she should be allowed to choose her own husband and such but anyway angels are archaic aren't you, so let's do this the old way!"

With that, he walked up to Moroah's father, who led the angels into this 'battle' and shook his hand.

"Now that, sir, is an amazing grip. Firm handshake, I like it. Anyway, so the funny thing is that… I'm incredibly in love with your daughter and I can only hope she loves me as i love her,"

"She means the world to me, I really don't think I could live without her. And I promise you sincerely, that if you agree to this.. proposal? Yes, proposal, that I'll always take care of her and ensure that she's happy."

At first the angel was… mortified. How dare a 'lowly' demon come up to him and request his daughter's hand in marriage! So naturally, he led the angels back into the heavens, and locked up his daughter in one room, ensuring (supposedly) that she would never meet that wretched demon again.

But over time he thought, and others thought and soon enough, the heavens were talking about how much good it would be if an angel did marry a demon. After all, it could finally be the one thing they needed to actually live in harmony once again.

And so, Amphor and Moroah had a large, over the top, extraordinary wedding. Everyone in the heavens and Kopor was invited, everywhere there were banners and decorations. In fact, it was the most celebrated wedding to have ever occured!

But it was also the start of a beautiful new world. A world in which it was thought that demons and angels could coexist. In which everyone got along, and there was much less tension between the two.

Almost a year and a half later, the happy couple welcomed their baby girl into the world, the crown princess of Kopor, Akakios.

-

Akakios sat down across her mother, next to her father and waited patiently for breakfast to arrive. As she waited, she discussed with her father how different sword art forms were executed - she had a fascination for weaponry. After a while, breakfast arrived and the three of them ate in silence, getting up to move once they had finished eating. Akakios motioned once more for Koro to follow her as she moved to the training hall, ready to start her day 'properly'...

-

A/N:

Amphor and Moroah are basically Kopor's It™ Couple! With their stoic, quiet-ish child, Akakios!

This chapter especially took long to write today >.< I spent a lot of my time sitting around doing nothing, I baked a cake and then I ended up actually finishing this chapter!

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave any comments, I always appreciate them! ❤️❤️ Please take care of yourselves too! Thank you!

Toki x


	3. Chapter 2: A Book, Training And A Garden

Walking into the training hall, Akakios puts down her sword, tying a sash around her waist to ensure her robes wouldn’t get in the way of training. Akakios turns to Koro, nodding slightly and waiting for him to choose his weapon before they train. She slowly unsheaths her own sword, a regular jian she uses, and inspects it carefully, eyeing each and every indent in it. Once she's done, she holds it at her side and glances up at Koro, who chose the much heavier baat jaam do to train with.

Swiftly moving in to close range, she begins her attack. Koro blocks and turns to hit hard, leaving his centre wide open, allowing Akakios to take advantage and secure a hit before twisting her body around to face away from him and return to her initial stance.

“As always, Your Highness fights well," Looking up in her direction, he continues. "Someday, I shall be able to hit you.” Koro looks up in her direction, his words earning him a smirk from said royal.

[Koro… you’re a good fighter but… you always leave your centre open...]

She stands patiently, waiting for Koro to take the offensive. He moves in quickly, aiming for her neck with the baat jaam do. She responds by blocking and punching him softly in the chest to push him back, then clashes his weapon with hers.

They continue to spar as such for a while, alternating who takes offence. When the 9th bell rings for the 9th Koda, they finally end their session. Akakios resheathes her jian, placing it away and waiting for Koro. Once they’re both ready, they separate to bathe and change. Once they're in more formal robes, they go to see her father, sat in his office, regal as ever, sorting paperwork.

“Akakios! I trust your daily training session went well?” Amphor looks up at his daughter, smiling softly. "Come, sit here. It's time to learn more of your duties,"

“Mhm” She nods, sitting down and shuffling through paperwork quietly.

Unlike her more outgoing parents, Akakios is quiet, preferring to get on with the task in front of her. She carefully listens as her father details to her exactly how to check each document, ensuring they’re all perfect, ensuring they are ready to be consulted.

As she continues, he checks his planner for the next few days, before looking back her way, smiling and then continuing.“In a few days, there will be the annual Anaksor tournament. Will you be participating? You are our best candidate, but I have a few options if you do not wish to.” 

The Anaksor tournament saw a fighter from each village of the kingdom of Kopor come forward and engage in battle with others. It was once used to deem the worth of each village, but now was a much more friendly tournament - supposedly.

Akakios nods, speaking up softly, “I’ll… I’ll fight.”

[Of course I'll fight.]

He smiled softly at her once again, “That’s good to hear! I’ll have someone prepare your armour.” and moved to call a servant to prepare Akakios’ armour and weaponry for the tournament. 

Whilst this was happening, Akakios turned to look at the books on her father’s long bookshelf. She pulled out one that she found particularly interesting, on the history of Kopor’s rulers.

“Father..”

“Yes, my dear?” A quick response, he looked at her, noticing the book in her hand

“Can I take this book… to read..? I wish to learn... more of Kopor” She looked curiously at the cover, her other hand carefully tracing the design of the cover as her eyes trailed off.

Amphor sighed softly. The book she held contained all of Kopor’s secrets, it contained everything a future leader of Kopor ever needed. He’d love to give it to her right now, but the tournament was in a few days, and for her to do well, it would be better for him to give it to her after.

“I still need it for a few days.. I could give it to you after the tournament? When you can read it at ease?” he cautiously replied.

Akakios gently put the book back, smiling at her father, “Of course.” before 

She returned to the documents, sorting them and then placing them in a new pile. By the time they were done, it had turned 12 Kodas, which meant lunchtime. Both Akakios and Amphor made their way to the main hall, Koro following behind. They join Moroah at the table, who was already waiting for them.

“Ah! You’re both here, we can start lunch now.” Moroah motioned for the servants to place their plates in front of them and the three of them ate lunch.

As they ate, Amphor and Moroah discussed issues within the kingdom as Akakios ate, listening in silence.

Once they had finished, Moroah motioned for Akakios and Koro to follow her into her private garden. The garden was Moroah's personal area, where no one could enter without her. It was filled with all of her favourite flowers, namely with hydrangea, roses and carnations.

Akakios sat beside Moroah, Koro standing guard on the other side. She rested her head in her mother's lap, who hummed softly as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Kiokio, your father tells me you'll participate in the tournament this year?"

Akakios only hummed in response, closing her eyes as Moroah softly spoke to her. Soon, she fell asleep. Moroah realised what had happened when she leaned over to look at her calm, resting face. She stayed with her, until Koro walked over to Moroah, whispering softly,

"Your Highness," he whispered softly, "someone's here to see you"

-  
A/N:

Kiokio is Moroah's nickname for Akakios - I think it's quite cute, don't you?

The Anaksor Tournament is a big thing in Kopor - it's like their Olympics. More details will reveal themselves in later chapters!

I wonder what's in that book, and who's come to see Moroah...

I'm sorry this chapter's not as long as the previous one :( I'll aim to make future chapters longer! As always, thank you for reading! Leave any comments, I'd love to read them! Stay hydrated and please take care of yourselves!

Toki x


	4. Chapter 3: Of Daggers And Books

"Your Highness," he whispered softly, "someone's here to see you.."

Moroah softly turned her head, smiled at Koro and then looked over to her visitor, gently moving Akakios’ head off of her lap and onto the fluffy grass, where she curled up and slept peacefully.

“Welcome old friend… I haven’t seen you in so long, how have you been?” 

Moroah stood up, brushing grass and flowers off of her robes, greeting her old friend Genevieve, an angel particularly close to the family of Kancoras (see A/N <3) due to her close relations with Moroah.

Genevieve dressed in all black, with green embellishments and carried her sword by her side. Jewels adorned both her ears and the sides of her eyes. As Genevieve walked over towards Moroah, her anklets clinked quietly, sounding ethereal.

“I’ve been relatively well, my dear. And you? How has Kopor treated you?” Genevieve responds as the two of them sit down, close to where Akakios rests.

Looking over at Akakios, Genevieve notes her features are softer than usual. She seems calmer, not as stressed. She almost looks the same as she did as a child-

Genevieve smiles, before gently caressing her hair. Almost instantly, Akakios leans in, mumbling and moving slightly as Moroah chuckles. The two of them talk in hushed tones, trying to let Akakios rest, until..

“Hnnngghh..”

Akakios rose from her slumber, lifting herself up as her bones whined in pain..

“Mother..” her voice still raspy, she turned to face Genevieve and Moroah. Once she saw, she quickly greeted Genevieve, who only responded with a smile and a soft headpat, earning a smile from Akakios - a rare sight in itself.

“It seems Kiokio has finally awoken.. Did you rest well?” Akakios looks over at her mother, who held something in her hands.

[Her hands...]

She nods, “Yes mother,” and then draws her attention to the object in her hands, “What’s that you carry?”

Moroah moves her hands, allowing a traditional dagger to fall from her hands, into her lap. Akakios’ eyebrows rise ever so slightly, and Moroah unsheathes the blade to show a pure jade dagger. She then resheathes it, passing the blade over to Akakios, who holds it and sits quietly.

“Why?”

Genevieve smiles and responds,

“Every angel receives some weapon when they turn 15, and whilst I’m 3 months late, I finally found the perfect one for you. Keep it safe, and always by your side.”

Akakios looked at the dagger, analysing each and every part of the sheathe, and held it comfortably.

[A dagger.]

“I will,” she replies, “I will.”

Eventually, Akakios lies back down, Moroah gently running her hand through her hair as she spoke with Genevieve. After a while, Amphor comes out to see them too, inviting the three back inside for dinner.

As they walk inside, Akakios thinks to herself,

[Hmm.. A dagger. For turning older, huh. I hope.. I hope I don’t get into a situation where I need it.]

Once they are inside, the four of them sit at the dinner table, waiting for dinner to be served. As always, Akakios remained silent, listening to the other three discuss the past. She hears every story, from that time when Amphor stumbled and dropped wine over Moroah’s father (causing an uproar amongst both angels and demons), to when Moroah and Genevieve were young cherubs.

Three servants come into the room, placing 4 plates and glasses in front of the four. Akakios and Amphor eat in silence, whilst Moroah and Genevieve discuss quietly the changes of the Heavens. As they finish, three servants come in, taking away the dirty cutlery to wash and clean. Amphor stands first, followed by the other three, and indicates Akakios to follow him. Moroah and Genevieve walk away, into the library.

Amphor leads Akakios into the armoury, where they sit on the floor, just as he had done with her when she was a young child-

\--flashback - 12 years prior--

A much younger Amphor walks into the armoury, with a 3 year old Akakios held in his arms.

“Someday, this will all be yours… for now, let’s sit here, hmm?”

Amphor looks at Akakios, who’s small face contrasted with her big, wide eyes, looking around in curiosity at each and every weapon. From scimitars, blades, longswords, shortswords, falchions and sabres, to note some. She points at one particularly impressive sword, and says,

“Baba!”

Amphor smiles, wielding the very sword she pointed at. Once his go-to sword for everything, he retired this sword after she was born, choosing to use simpler swords, and keep this sword safe for her.

He lifts the sword into the air, causing Akakios to giggle and clap her hands. He then pushed three quarters of the sword into the ground, standing it up, and sat down, cross-legged, on the floor with Akakios, who crawled towards the sword. She looked between him and the sword, at first with curiosity, and then touched the blade, before reeling back and crawling into Amphor’s arms again. 

Suddenly, Amphor thought of something. It was widely known that nephilim had a lot of strength, more than your average demon or angel, and he wanted to see if she could in fact, pick up the sword. Of course, if she couldn’t, he’d quickly catch the sword..

However, right now, Amphor merely sat patiently, consoling a sniffling baby, who didn’t know that metal was in fact, cold.

She tried again, crawling over with more confidence. Amphor smiled at her and nodded when she made eye contact with him. She held the dull blade, winced as the cold hit her skin and then, slowly started pulling the blade out. Being very… small, she could barely reach the hilt of the sword, so she pushed the sword up from the blade stuck in the ground. Amphor watched with both curiosity and pride, as she managed to get the blade out. It falls onto the ground, causing Akakios to start crying, and Amphor to very quickly bounce the baby in an effort to console her.

As she stops crying, she moves out to get to the sword once again, and holds the sword, lifting it up as her father did and giggling.

“Baba!!”

Amphor beams and responds,

“Kiokio!!”

And then, Akakios puts the sword down and runs back at Amphor, who caught her, stood up and spun her, the two of them giggling, loudly. He holds her close and they sit back down, as he praises her.

\--end flashback--

They sit on the floor, quietly. Neither one saying a word, Amphor smiles at Akakios, who smiles back.

“Someday this will all be yours..”

He then frowned

“It seems as though that day comes soon..”

Akakios looked up at her father,

“Baba, don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine!”

[Baba don't speak like that. You're scaring me-]

He smiles, gently patting her head.

“I know it will. But I want you to be prepared, so whenever you have time, use the armoury. Practice. And find your style, your weapon.”

Akakios nodded, listening, and then asked a question that had been lingering on her mind.

[I have to ask him. I need to know.]

“Baba.. the book.. what’s in it?”

Amphor’s smile dropped as he looked off, away from Akakios. How could he tell her what was in it? Would she understand..

“That book… my dear.. includes...”

\--

A/N:

Kancora is Akakios’ family name! (please forgive this one for forgetting to mention earlier >.<)

Also, passing a dagger is like a rite of passage for angels, and since our Kiokio is half-angel, she should get one right?

I wonder how the tournament will go...

Maybe she’ll find out about the book too~

\--

I'd like to sincerely apologise for being so late with this upload :(( i've not been feeling great personally, and school has recently started for me again. Also, my mock exams are a few weeks away, so updates will be more common after my mock exams ♥️

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave any comments, I always appreciate them! ❤️❤️ Please take care of yourselves, stay hydrated too! Thank you!

Toki x


	5. Chapter 4: A Family Heirloom

“That book… my dear.. includes...”

Amphor’s heart raced as he thought about how exactly he should explain. Was she ready to learn? He knew he couldn’t hide it from her for much longer..

Akakios stared at her father blankly, waiting for him to answer. What was so terrifying about the book, that he couldn’t even tell her?

[Is it dangerous? It can’t be, right? It’s only a book-]

Amphor stuttered for a while, stalling for time as he thought about how to explain what was in the book. Eventually, he sighed, knowing he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer.

“My dear, you mustn’t tell anyone. Not a soul lives, apart from you and I, that knows of this book..”

Akakios thought about this, and nodded slowly.

“The book includes many different things, guiding the monarch of Kopor in their rule. Pages on how each tradition works, why they exist, so on, so forth. However, it also includes the key to keeping the Demons alive, as well as the key to breaking us..”

Amphor waited for a reaction from Akakios, who only sat in thought, silent.

[Oh-]

[That’s why-]

[That… actually kinda makes sense]

She then looked up and smiled, before responding,

“I understand now… and I’ll keep it safe, Baba.”

Amphor smiled back, standing up and motioning for Akakios to follow him as he walked back to his office. As they moved, Akakios looked up around her, in the gallery she used to play in as a young child, decorated with portraits of each and every monarch to ever rule Kopor, from King Daemonidas, the first Demon to exist, to the current monarch, King Amphor. Each one was intricately designed, with each monarch in their coronation robes, standing proudly as they were painted.

Someday, Akakios would make it here too, right?

Her portrait, next to her father’s, in the Gallery of Daemonidas. Amongst all of her ancestors, the very ones currently staring her down from both sides of the corridor.

[...wow.]

[But what if I end up-]

She didn’t have time to finish that thought, as Amphor quickly pulled her into the study, hurriedly finding the book and shoving it into her hands.

“I just didn’t know if you were ready for this yet, my dear… I suppose it's now or never though, right?”

She nodded, and felt the weight of the book in her hands. The book itself didn't seem that big, only a few inches wide, but it felt heavier than when she last held it, when she first asked about it. Her eyes glanced over the cover, intricately patterned with perfect penmanship, reading "Koporian Monarchs" and nothing else.

[Simple. Quick. Important. Hmm.]

She gently opened the book, staring at the old font inside, taking in each and every word. It seemed as though this had been written by-

"-Daemonidas himself. Although, later monarchs have added knowledge to it. In fact, I don't think there's a single monarch that hasn't… myself included." 

Amphor finished her thought trail for her, explaining how the book worked,

"Somehow, it manages to add pages whenever pages are running out too."

[Ah. So that's why it's heavier.]

Akakios shut the book after reading a bit, smiled at her father who then dismissed her, and walked back to her own quarters, book in hand.

[The tournament's soon… but I need to read the book too…]

Decisions, decisions, decisions… Akakios sat, thinking about what to do for a while, before deciding to read at least some of the book.

[If I only read… five pages… then I can train for the tournament, right? Perfect!]

She grinned, beginning to read. Next thing she knew, it had been 4 hours and she managed to read about half of the book. The only thing that stopped her continuing was-

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

Ah. Akakios' bodyguard, Koro, had stationed himself outside of Akakios' quarters, as he would do every night. Akakios, remembering that no one knew of the existence of this book, quickly hid the book and got ready to sleep

After changing her robes, tidying her room and preparing to sleep, Akakios finally climbed into her bed, looking out of the window as she did so.

Outside, the sky was pitch black, with bright white stars shining brightly. The moon was up high, in a crescent shape, and the breeze was cool and soft, gently tingling against Akakios' skin, moving her curtains quietly. The grass and trees swayed, almost to a rhythm. Barely visible from her room, the lake was vast and wide, and she could just about make out the patterns of waves slowly moving. Relaxed, Akakios rested her head, drifting off to sleep…

\--

In the King and Queen's quarters, Amohor and Moroah had also gotten ready for bed, standing outside of their room, enjoying the calmness of the night. As they turned to look at one another, they smiled softly, walking back inside to sleep.

As they got into bed, blew out the candles and fell asleep, a cool, quiet whistling can be heard, with the breeze carrying the sound of the waves.

\--

Akakios was known to be hard-working, dedicated and determined.

Over the next few weeks, Akakios poured time and effort into preparing for the tournament. Everyday, she would spar for 8 hours straight with anyone who was available. It didn't matter when, or where, as long as she could train Late at night, she'd read parts of the book, preparing for her future role as Queen of Kopor.

She wasn't the only one preparing for the tournament though…

\--

A/N:

Sorry for the late upload >.< I haven't been feeling too well recently, and with the stress of exams at school, I had to delay this chapter quite a bit… however, once I get better, and exams are over, I promise to be regular with uploading!

I wonder who else is participating in the tournament…!!

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave any comments, I always appreciate them! ❤️❤️ Please take care of yourselves, stay hydrated too! Thank you!

Toki x


	6. Chapter 5: Yearly Traditions

The Rephoral Tournament was held every year, in the summertime, always started at 3 Kodas, every third Senchoheu of the sixth month and was well-attended by almost every citizen of Kopor. 

Before the tournament itself began, there would always be a great street parade, travelling through the main street of Koporiona, Kopor’s prized capital. The whole street was filled with people dancing, performing and so on so forth. Those unable to take part in the festivities would watch from the sides of the street and eat delicacies fit for royals. All in all, it was a fun time for everyone, no matter who or what you were.

This year started the same as every year, citizens pooling into the street early. The air carried a sweet scent of freshly baked breads and cakes, sweets delicately strung high up from stalls, fruits glazed in sugar and drinks being prepared for each and every person. Children played, giggling as they ran away from parents trying to keep them in line. Dancers, singers, performers and others all prepared for the big parade. And then…

Loud, triumphant fanfare played, signalling the arrival of the King Amphor, Queen Moroah and Princess Akakios, sat safely in their sedans. Royal guards led them through to the top of the street, inside the arena for the tournament. From there, the three royals moved up to the top of the arena, onto a balcony, to watch the pre-tournament festivities.

First were the singers, kicking off the parade with their harmonious voices, who would continue to sing throughout it all. Next were the acrobats, flying through the air, earning gasps from their delighted audience. The dancers followed through, gracefully moving over the street. Eventually, the parade moved into the arena, and backstage, preparing for the final part of the festivities.

People started pouring into the arena, sitting down in their seats with snacks and drinks, a constant murmuring of “It’ll start soon!” “Who’d ya think’ll be fightin’ this year?” “My bet’s on that angel girl”, and then sudden hushing around as the final phase began.

Brightly coloured performers - from the singers and dancers to the acrobats and guards - piled into the main arena, a large celebration beginning. Music played, people clapped and enjoyed as behind, in the preparation rooms of the arena, fighters got ready for the tournament.

As the performers moved out of the arena, the fighters prepared for their entrance. Weapons were all around as each one carefully got ready. Nine fighters lined up, in order of age, and were led into the arena by the guards.

The sound of wild cheering, clapping and heightened adrenaline filled the arena as all nine competitors walked in, holding themselves high. They stood in one line, facing most of the audience, and waited for the announcer to begin the official tournament.

“Welcome, oh good people of Kopor, to the annual Rephoral Tournament! As every year, I, Jassaro, am your announcer, and will be narrating the tournament for your enjoyment! Let’s take a look at our nine brave fighters for this year!”

Jassaro was well known for being one of Kopor’s most sought after entertainers, and was often seen performing in the King’s Court. Every year, King Amphor would employ him for the tournament.

“We start with fighter number 1! Heaven’s very own Kyriakos!”

Kyriakos was the oldest of the fighters, an angel known for her many victories in battle - all at the age of 16. But to those who knew her, she was an incredibly loyal and caring being, never leaving one’s side.

“And number 2 is Michalis of Karrokia!”

Michalis, only a month younger than Kyriakos, was a demon known amongst many. The son of a wealthy noble, he spent most of his time showing off his wealth to others. It was said that he only ever grovelled in front of royals - but as he argued, “There’s no proof of that! You can’t say that!” - and always had something new to brag about.

“Number 3 is our future Queen, Princess Akakios of Kopor!”

Akakios looked around, hearing the crowd’s cheers and panicking.

[I shouldn’t feel like this… they’re fucking cheering for me, to support me, but I feel so… uncomfortable?]

[What the fuck do I do?]  
And so, Akakios stood quietly, waiting for the crowd to quieten, sit down and allow Jassaro to continue.

“Another angel in for number 4, Evangelos of Meranhao!”

Evangelos… he was an angel who only really cared about himself. He held himself above everyone, not interacting with those he believed to be below him. Because of this, many in both Kopor and Heaven despised him, but they had to acknowledge just how strong of a fighter he was.

“The nation’s sweetheart, number 5 is Xanthi of Konosia!”

Xanthi was a sweet, young girl, well known for being able to switch cleanly to an outspoken, terrifying demoness. She was also known for her closeness to Akakios, and the two were often seen as sisters. This closeness led to her being extremely well known across Kopor, and almost everyone had heard of her.

“And coming in number 6 is Katina of Losleio!”

Katina was a pure-hearted angel, her smile being said to heal people. Unlike the others, Katina was not as known for fighting, or violence or strength, but for her ability to care for others. As every other angel, the top of her wings carried a liquid that, when applied to wounds, healed them almost instantly.

“Number 7 is Losleio’s baby faced angel, Serafeim!”

Serafeim was Katina’s twin sister, but was better known for using her innocent looks to trick her opponents, before swiftly finishing them off. This made her and Katina the best pair for any fight. Aside from that, she was much more assertive than her sister, sticking up for the both of them when needed.

“Narciso of Daemorinia comes in at number 8!”

Narciso was a demon who mostly kept to himself. His only friends were Akakios and Xanthi, and he never really opened up to others. Whilst he appeared to only care for himself on the outside… he was protective of anyone he opened up to, and looked up to both his friends dearly as older siblings. To the public, however, he was known for being a silent attacker, quietly moving and quickly ending fights.

“And our final fighter...”

[...Oh great-]

[It’s her-]

“...coming in at number 9, Jokairan’s Keros!”

Keros was the youngest, at 13, and quite possibly the most violent of them all. Whilst she was known for starting fights, and impulsively hurting others, she was often quickly defeated, due to her not having much skill in battle overall. As well as that, she was a loner, and stayed away from everyone at all costs.

“And those are our nine fighters for this year! Get ready for an interesting tournament, who knows who’ll win? Let’s find out!”

As every year, there were five monsters to be defeated, so there were five rounds in the tournament. Anyone who defeated a monster won that battle, and if it was done by more than one person, then the win was shared. The winner at the end of the tournament would gain gold, riches, fine cloths and such. The previous year’s winner was Akakios, who donated her winnings to those who could actually use them, but who knew who’d win this year?

Akakios looked around once more, analysing every fighter carefully.

[So these are the fighters for this year? An interesting bunch]

And then her eyes rested on Katina, softening slightly as they both locked eyes.

[Oh-]

[Oh?]

[OH!]

Katina smiled gently at Akakios, who only looked away towards the crowd again, mentally cursing herself.

[Nice. She smiled and you had to fucking look away. Way to fucking go, idiot.]

Eventually, the nine fighters moved back out of the arena, going to rest for the first round starting the next day. Some fighters chose to chat, get to know each other. Others chose to lie down and prepare mentally for the first round. But two fighters stood out particularly…

Keros stood at the side of a table, sharpening her knife as she stared at Akakios, who only stared back, sitting at another table with Xanthi and Narciso, both bickering about who was the better fighter.

After about 19 Kadons of staring, Keros’ knife snapped, causing her to look away, curse and then walk off 

[Guess I win this one then.]

Akakios rolled her eyes and suddenly inhaled sharply, seeing Katina and Serfeim sit down across them. Katina smiled again at Akakios, who just about smiled back, and then kicked Xanthi and Narciso under the table to shut them both up.

[Oh no, not again, this is so much worse, please don’t talk to me. I’m an embarrassment, what now-]

Akakios’ loud string of thoughts were broken as Xanthi started talking to the two angels:

“Hey! I’ve seen you both around, you’re those twins, right?”

“No, Xanthi, they’re mother and daughter actually-”

Narciso muttered under his breath, causing an outburst from Xanthi, and for Akakios to put her head in her hands before looking up and saying:

“I’m so sorry, they’re… so embassy in- I mean embarrassing”

And then put her head back in her hands, going bright red as Xanthi and Narciso snickered quietly.

“Ah, don’t worry! It’s quite… endearing, to be honest.”

Katina sent another smile Akakios’ way, before continuing,

“You guys act almost like a small family”

\--

A/N:

I know these are old ones, but in case anyone has forgotten:

In Kopor, a Koda is an hour and a Kadon is a minute. (They also don’t use the AM/PM system, instead going to the 24th Koda and starting again for the next day).

And the days of the week:

Senchoheu - Sunday  
Merheu - Monday  
Tenheu - Tuesday  
Worheu - Wednesday  
Thantuheu - Thursday  
Ferdoheu - Friday  
Sacheu - Saturday

Finally we meet more characters! I think they’re all so interesting, right?

And why’s Akakios so… awkward in front of Katina? (I cringed writing them -_-)

I can’t wait for the first round to start, it’ll be so interesting!

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave any comments, I always appreciate them! ❤️❤️ Please take care of yourselves, stay hydrated too! Thank you!

Toki x


	7. Chapter 6: Serakaso

“You guys act almost like a small family”

Katina smiled softly at the three, Xanthi and Narciso finally ending their bickering and smiling at each other, causing Akakios to loosen up slightly, and smile more genuinely.

She wasn’t wrong, the three of them were extremely close, known as the “Koporian Trinity”, just as their own fathers were. Where one would go, the other two would follow. If one was in trouble, the other two would help out. They shared joy, sadness, anger, hope, everything. But what they were best known for was their power as a unit. In every Rephoral Tournament they competed in, their strength lay in working together. They would outshine almost every other fighter, being able to quickly win rounds.

For them, this year would be no different. Their strategy would stay the same - save for Xanthi “accidentally” kicking Narciso when they won - and all they really needed to do was adjust it to each monster.

On the other hand, Katina and Serafeim made quite the team themselves. Whilst Katina was a strong healer, able to protect herself but also heal others, Serafeim was a force to be reckoned with, able to hold her own in a fight.

Knowing this, Akakios smiled respectfully at the twins, her eyes lingering over Katina for a moment longer, not really wanting to look away, until Xanthi nudged her softly.

“So, Losleio’s twins, huh? I’m Xanthi, it’s a pleasure to meet you~”

Xanthi smiled sweetly at the two, who returned her smile.

“The pleasure’s all ours! And you guys are the Koporian Trinity, right? We look forward to fighting alongside you this year!”

Serafeim kicked her sister under the table, who was busy locking eyes with Akakios again. Internally, she rolled her eyes and mocked her. Katina quickly looked away and blushed slightly, as Akakios widened her eyes for a split-second before looking off into the distance again.

“Ah right, so uh, it’s a great day, right? The parade was, uh, fun. Yeah, uh, fun.”

[...Could you be anymore awkward? Jeez, all you have to do is make small talk it’s not that hard-]

Unlike her parents, Akakios was… awkward. As in ‘There’s-No-Hope-Left-Absolutely-Hopeless-Case’ levels of awkward. Anytime she’d engage in small talk, it’d come off as uncomfortable, so she often left it to Xanthi, who was much, much better at it. Unfortunately, in this case, Xanthi seemed to enjoy this embarrassment, and let her continue before jumping in and apologising,

“Please forgive her, she’s not the best at small talk”

….and promptly chuckled before starting conversation with Serafeim, who seemed glad to talk with her. Narciso sat quietly, poking Akakios every now and then, who’d poke him back. This led to a game of ‘Who Can Poke Quicker?’, providing entertainment for Katina, who watched quietly.

Eventually it was dinner time for the nine of them, and dinner time led to late-evening talks, where Xanthi and Serafeim devised a little plan amongst themselves.

“So you know how my sister is… head over heels in love with your best friend-”

“Let’s get them together! Oh my God I have soooooo many ideas!”

“Yessssss! Let’s do it!”

Narciso walked in on the two of them scheming and tried to walk back out, only for Xanthi to yank him back and drag him in too.

“Come on Narciso, you can’t tell me you don’t want them together either”

He rolled his eyes before quietly responding,

“Yes, but don’t you think they should get together themselves?”

To which Serafeim retorted,

“No. Absolutely not. From what I’ve seen, they’re disasters and need us to help them. So are you in or..?”

“Fine. But if Akakios gets angry…. I’m not getting involved!”

“She won’t be angry, we’re her best friends!”

So the three of them plotted, discussing each and every angle of what could, probably would and definitely will happen - including scenarios where it could backfire, “Bro, she’ll definitely kill us it’s not worth it-” “SHUT UP NARCISO” “...I’m sorry-”, and scenarios where (at least in their eyes) they would definitely fall in love.

Meanwhile, Akakios practiced forms in her room, unsheathing her sword, Zanrak, and moving swiftly. She kept practicing, until she felt ready for round one, and then prepared to sleep.

Katina waited for Serafeim to return to their room, scolded her for staying out for so long and then went to bed too.

Evangelos scrutinised his room, scowling as he climbed into bed - it wasn’t plump enough for him to sleep on. Another complaint was ready to be filed.

Kyriakos placed her weapons by her bed, before getting into bed softly, sleeping with a smile. If anyone rested easy, it was her.

Michalis… jumped into bed. Hitting the ceiling. Waking everyone, causing Evangelos to yell a string of curses, Kyriakos to tell everyone to calm down and Michalis himself to yell a quick apology to Evangelos. With a sharp headache, he rubbed his head before frowning and shifting around in bed, trying to sleep.

Narciso slept quietly, not making a sound nor moving at all. At every little noise, he jumped, before going back to sleep.

Xanthi stretched before sighing happily and sleeping. At Evangelos’ loud complaints, she rolled her eyes before yelling back at him, shutting him up quickly. She slept with a grin on her face.

And Keros, stayed up sharpening her knife again. It wasn’t until Evangelos had started yelling that she considered putting her knives away and sleeping. She threw the duvet onto the floor and lay onto her bed, eyes wide open. Of everyone, she was the only one who could not sleep, at all.

The next morning, the nine of them got up, picked up their chosen weapons and went to eat breakfast. With the first round starting that day, tensions were high, and everyone was full of adrenaline, ready to see the first monster.

As always, the Royal Guards led them out into the arena, where they all stood at the edge, waiting for Jassaro to introduce the first monster, and begin the first round. Just as yesterday, the seats were filled with people all around. Except they were much quieter today, waiting patiently for the round to begin.

“Welcome everyone! Our first round officially starts today! Make sure you sit tight as we bring in our very first monster!”

All nine competitors gripped their weapons tightly, listening closely as Jassaro introduced the first monster.

“Hailing from the icy plains of Seceleus...”

[Hang on - icy? An ice monster? Oh no, oh no, dear ancestors help me...]

Ice monsters were one of the most difficult types to fight, having an extremely tough exterior and many icy appendages they would flail around systematically. To add to that, every limb cut off would end up growing back within 6 Kadons, making them a difficult opponent.

[This early?]

“...Serakaso!”

As gates on the other side of the arena opened, a portal swirled, gaining in speed as a large icy being crashed through, roaring and thrashing wildly. The audience cheered loudly as Serakaso stabilised themself, staring at the nine teenagers, but specifically at Akakios.

With five long legs, all covered in sharp ice, three heads and 7 eyes, Serakaso stood tall, bigger than the open-air arena. Their icy cold breath froze the ground over, as their bright red eyes looked around, settling once again upon Akakios, who stared back coolly.

Serakaso raised two of their legs up high, roared once more, and quickly thrust them back into the ground, causing it to shake, as the competitors tried to stand their ground.

“Okay, quick plan of attack, we-”

“-aiM FOR THE FUCKIN’ HEART”

“Xanthi wait-”

Xanthi ran up, distracting the monster, as Akakios shook her head and attacked as frequently as she could.

Narciso quietly made his way around underneath Serakaso and attacked too, Katina joining him. Serafeim attacked the otherside, strategically.

Kyriakos worked on the head of the beast, throwing swords at the eyes specifically, whilst Michalis sat doing nothing. Evangelos rolled his eyes, believing this to be below his… level, as Keros kept her distance.

The beast roared, swinging appendages around and lifting Katina with one, who tried getting out, but was unable to. Akakios quickly flew up, her magnificent wings spreading wide as she drew out a longsword, cutting off the limb and catching Katina swiftly.

"You okay?"

She looked over her with concern as she gently put her down.

"Yes, I think I am. You go, I'll help Kyriakos."

Katina smiled softly before running over to help out. Akakios continued to attack the beast, guilty of injuring both Xanthi and Narciso, who were both wincing at the side of the arena, as Kyriakos attended to them. Serakaso appeared to be making their way to injuring Serafeim next.

Thus, Akakios ran quickly across the arena, throwing all and any weapons she could at the beast before unsheathing Zanrak. A bright light shone off the sword as she thrust it sharply at the beast's weakpoint, injuring them fatally. From there, it was a simple victory.

Evangelos moved forward to try and secure a win, only for Kyriakos to keep him behind, rightfully.

Serakaso fell greatly, causing a loud thudding noise to surround the arena, followed by silence and baited breath from the audience. Soon, they lifted a head, roaring weakly before making eye contact with Akakios once more.

Akakios nodded grimly, before using Zanrak to decapitate each head, and then stood back, an unreadable expression on her face.

[Round one over… four more left to go]

And the crowd went wild, screaming and cheering for the future queen. Xanthi and Narciso ran up to Akakios, elated with the result of her win, and congratulated her.

And then… Katina walked up to her, a smile on her face, and her hand outstretched towards her,

"Thank you for saving me out there, I really appreciate it."

"Of course, thank you for helping Xanthi and Narciso here!"

And internally, Akakios' heart thumped loudly, jumping and itching to get out of her ribcage. Forget the crowd, forget Jassaro, forget Xanthi and Narciso. All she could do was stare back at Katina, who only smiled, but dear lord was it a hell of a smile.

Imagine a smile that could heal people - literally. A smile that filled you with instant serotonin everytime you saw it, that was Katina.

Eventually, everyone was escorted back out of the arena, sitting down for dinner. The room was full of a quiet buzzing, with loud congratulations on the one side of the room, and quiet complaints from the other.

The five of them - Akakios, Katina, Narciso, Xanthi and Serafeim all sat down, wsith the other four loudly congratulating and celebrating Akakios' success. And all Akakios did was drink quietly and smile at the others, happy with her win.

Meanwhile, the caretakers lifted the body of the beast out, taking it out of the arena. A stench lingered still, of death and blood. It was almost ominous..

A/N:

An ice beast to start off the tournament, how intriguing! And I wonder just how Serafeim and Xanthi plotted... >:)

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave any comments, I always appreciate them! ❤️❤️ Please take care of yourselves, stay hydrated too! Thank you!

Toki x


	8. Chapter 7: Walls and Corridors

Between each and every round there were always two days of rest, when the fighters could recuperate and prepare for the next round.

And so, Serafeim, Xanthi and (reluctantly) Narciso decided to put their plan into place during these two days. The three of them woke up early - as in, Xanthi and Serafeim dragged Narciso out of bed,

“Hey! Get out of my room!”

...leading to yelps of fear from Narciso and loud laughter from the other two. Eventually, the three of them managed to sit down for breakfast, where they waited for the other two (Akakios and Katina, of course) to arrive.

Katina arrived first, with Serafeim jumping up and quickly whisking her sister away to grab food, whilst Xanthi and Narciso left to drag Akakios into the canteen.

Grumpily, Akakios stumbled out of bed, getting dressed and walking alongside Xanthi and Narciso, who were too busy arguing to notice Akakios’ slight fall as they walked. Naturally, Akakios reached out to grasp Narciso, who reached out to grab Xanthi, and the three of them fell to the floor, yelps and screams galore. They stared at each other, before slowly bursting out into laughter, and getting back up to walk to the canteen,

“Not. A word.”

Akakios immediately shushed the other two, who snickered as they entered the room. At the same time, Serafeim winked at Xanthi, who suddenly remembered their ‘Ingenious’ plan.

Serafeim distracted Katina, whilst walking towards a wall near the three of them, and Narciso distracted Akakios, and once Katina rested against a wall, Xanthi pushed Akakios towards the wall.

Akakios spun quickly, trying to balance her footing as the room around her shook slightly. Her hand pressed against the wall as she panicked slightly, calmed down and looked at the supposed ‘wall’ in front of her.

Except, it wasn’t just a wall.

In fact, right in front of her, about a head smaller than herself, was a person.

A very specific person.

With baby blue hair and soft blue eyes, locking with her own sharp green and blue eyes, which widened, immediately.

[ah fuck]

Katina looked up at Akakios, smiling at the wide eyes, now-red, panicking girl. Slightly concerned for how the other was turning, Katina poked her bicep, very softly.

In the background, Narciso wheezed loudly, as Xanthi and Serafeim snickered, happy their plan worked.

Akakios stutters out a word, just about,

“W-w-walls.”

“Walls?”

“Yeah, love the design of these walls.. How… intricate, right?”

Katina turned around to look at the walls. They were in fact, plain, as she remembered.

“They’re... plain?”

“Yeah, how beautiful, right? Walls, walls, amazing walls really, they compliment the uhh...”

Meanwhile, Narciso had fallen to the floor, holding his stomach whilst howling and crying, sobbing even. Xanthi and Serafeim supported each other up, stifling their laughter still.

Katina chuckled gently, resting her hand on Akakios’ shoulder before ducking under her arm and moving to lightly punch Serafeim, rebuking the three before sitting down at a table not too far from them. Akakios stood there, staring at the wall in disbelief, shock, fear and panic for about 5 Kadons before turning around and looking down, dejectedly.

[...]

[...]

[I hate it here. So much.]

Cursing internally, Akakios slumped over, shuffling towards Xanthi and Narciso, who giggled before consoling their friend.

“You guys… really did that… huh.”

“Wait, wait don’t count me as part of this, I really wasn’t doing anything, they forced me to do it!”

“Narciso, shhhhHHHHHHHHH!”

Xanthi kicked Narciso’s leg, receiving a loud yelp from him, followed by many ‘Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, it hurts, why did you do this to me, you’re so mean Xanthi, I hate you’. This seemed to prove entertainment for Akakios, who smiled ever so slightly.

Eventually, the three of them sat down at the table, across Serafeim and Katina. Akakios could barely make eye contact, staring at the ground instead as Narciso and Xanthi started teasing each other again.

[Ow-]

[Wait.]

[That wasn’t Xanthi. And it wasn’t Narciso either?]

Feeling someone kick her shins ever so softly, Akakios looks around at Xanthi and Narciso, both too invested in their argument to notice. Serafeim appeared to be heavily interested in their argument, watching excitedly.

[That leaves.]

[No, no, no, it can’t be, why would it be her?]

She made direct eye contact with Katina, who only smiled sweetly back.

[But why would you-]

She felt another kick, and Katina excused herself from the table, before subtly signalling Akakios to follow on.

[Should I… should I stay or should I go? What now..?]

“Hey guys, I’m just gonna-”

“WELL FUCK YOU NARCISO!”

“YOU FUCK YOU XANTHI!”

She sighed, shaking her head and raising her voice slightly,

“Guys? I’m gonna go-”

“SHUT UP AKAKIOS!”

And suddenly the whole canteen went quiet, as a tense, nay, disturbing aura surrounded Akakios, who slowly stood up and spoke,

“I’m just gonna go excuse myself. Whilst I’m gone… don’t do anything weird.”

She glared at Narciso and Xanthi, before leaving, in the direction of where Katina left. As she walked off, both Narciso and Xanthi quietly began arguing again, getting louder and louder as everyone started talking once more.

She rolled her eyes, smiling a little before walking out into a darkly lit corridor, where she saw Katina walk down.

[It's… not normal… no… Something's up..]

A chill rushes down her spine as she hesitantly walks forward, a hand on the hilt of her sword in case anything attacked her. Akakios moves with her back against the wall on the left, checking all around her as an unsettling silence surrounds her.

[...Katina?]

She tries to quietly call for her, but she can't open her mouth to speak. Instead, she swallows down a feeling of fear and continues walking down the corridor, away from the canteen.

The lighting flickers unsettlingly, and Akakios continues moving, cautiously.

[I’m positive I saw her, I am, I am..]

Unknown to her, she wasn't following Katina at all. Katina had actually gone down a different corridor, a well-lit, normal corridor. She was waiting patiently in one of the arena's training rooms.

Akakios squints, and barely makes out a shadow ahead of her. Checking behind to see if anything has followed, she quickly runs to chase after the shadow, only for it to disappear at the end of the corridor. By the time she reaches the end, there are two paths she can take.

She stops to think, and registers an eerie laughing, both loud and quiet, shrill and low, right behind her and far away. Spinning around, Akakios presses herself against a wall, staring at the corridor she just walked down.

There's no one there, and the laughing has moved. It's now to her left… or is it to her right? Which path is it coming from? She shakes her head, dropping to her knees, confused. She hears a small shuffling in the distance, and slowly raises her head, noticing two backwards feet in front of her. As she lifts her gaze, she sees a whole body, crooked legs, crooked arms and a broken torso, ending with a twisted face bearing a contorted smile. She stares into its pale, dull eyes, and it stares back, before shrieking loudly.

As it shrieks, Akakios covers her ears, closing her eyes and curling up. She stays like that for a while. When she finally opens her eyes, the "thing" has already disappeared

In fact, the entire corridor looks completely different.

It's bright, and normal.

And there is an actual end to the corridor, a clear, obvious end. No more extra corridors. She checked her left and right, where there are only walls.

Most importantly, there is no shrieking "thing". No unsettling laughter either.

Akakios gathers herself, and quickly looking around, runs back towards the canteen.

Meanwhile, Katina makes her own way back to the canteen, a little upset that the other hadn’t come to see her. When she gets back, she asks where Akakios is, and the others respond with a quick shrug of their shoulders.

Right as Xanthi begins to talk, Akakios runs in, eyes wide, skin paler than ever. She makes her way back to the table, quietly sitting down, ignoring everything around her and not really paying much attention to her surroundings.

Instead, all that she can think of is what happened. Why did it happen, and-

[Why me?]

A/N:

Sorry this chapter update’s so late ;-; unfortunately, toki had many difficult exams and boring schoolwork to finish, got quite ill and the writer’s block didn’t help ;-; please forgive this one :((

pspsps special thanks to moni (twt: @lepidopterhua) for beta-ing my work as always, they're amazing and stunning ♥️

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter, please leave any comments, I always appreciate them! ❤️❤️ Please take care of yourselves, stay hydrated too! Thank you!

Toki x


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